Sunday Dinner: Lentil soup with veggies and pasta

Patricia Conte has a background in marketing communications and works as an independent writer. In 2010, she was given the opportunity to combine her love of writing and food when she started as a contributing writer for the Food channel...

Serve up a bowl of goodness!

Gather the family for a hearty Sunday dinner! Lentil soup with veggies and pasta is filling, healthy and something the family will enjoy.

This is one of those soups that can be thicker than a regular soup, but not quite as thick as a stew. Made with lentils (full of fiber and very filling) and broken pasta, this soup makes a hearty meal. One nice feature: If you happen to have leftover mashed potatoes, toss them in this soup to add creamy goodness! Perfect on a chilly Sunday evening!

Lentil soup with veggies and pasta

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 cup lentils, rinsed

1 cup broken large pasta (spaghetti or fettuccine) or small pasta

1 carrot, diced

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

3 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped

1 celery stalk, diced

1 (14 ounce) can cream of mushroom or celery soup (you can use about 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes if handy)

1/2 cup tomato sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 bacon strip, cooked and cut into small pieces or about 1/4 cup cooked pancetta (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese, for garnish

Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

Directions:

Add about 5 cups of water (or enough to cover the lentils plus about 2 extra inches) and the lentils to a medium-size, deep saute pan over medium heat.

Add the bacon (or pancetta) if you're using it. Cook, covered, until the lentils are almost soft, or until the water is absorbed. You may need to add more water to the lentils.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep saute pan over low-to-medium heat, add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion and cook until golden.

When boiling, add the pasta, lower the heat and cook until the pasta is tender.

Add the lentil mixture to the pasta and cook, uncovered, for another 15-20 minutes.

If you think your soup should be a bit creamier, combine about 2 tablespoons of flour with about 4 tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl. Whisk until a smooth paste forms. While the lentil and pasta mixture is cooking, gradually add the flour/water mixture, a bit at a time, while stirring.